Sumber:https://mili.id/baca-18634-novel-fantasi-karya-dosen-uc-angkat-budaya-peranakan-tionghoa-indonesia

Fantasy Novel by UC Lecturer Highlights Chinese-Indonesian Peranakan Culture

April 15, 2025

Surabaya, mili.Dr Shienny Megawati Sutanto, a Visual Communication Design (VCD) lecturer at Ciputra University (UC), has released another fantasy novel.

This time, her novel, “Warisan Dua Dunia,” is titled “Warisan Dua Dunia,” which highlights Chinese-Indonesian Peranakan culture.

The novel was specially launched in June 2024, coinciding with the Cap Go Meh celebrations. This work is also part of her doctoral dissertation, which began in 2022.

Shienny said the novel tells the story of the rich Peranakan culture she experienced as a child, living near the Hok An Kiong Temple in Surabaya, a place that also served as a primary inspiration for developing her fantasy world.

“The biggest challenge in writing this novel was making the Chinese cultural elements feel integrated and natural into the story, not just tacked on,” said Shienny, Tuesday (April 15, 2025).

Furthermore, writing about culture took quite a long time because she had to do research beforehand so readers could enjoy the script and illustrations in the novel without feeling lectured.

“The illustrations of the Chinese temple buildings, the 12 zodiac signs, and the ornaments in the lontong Cap Go Meh illustrations were also quite complex, as they had to be accurate and in harmony with my cartoon style. Combining real and fictional elements was not easy,” she explained.

She hopes that the novel “Heritage of Two Worlds” can bridge the younger generation’s understanding of Chinese-Indonesian Peranakan culture in a more exciting and modern way.

“For digital readers, I also made the e-book version in full colour. While the print version still looks stunning in black and white,” she explained.

Shienny is known as a prolific novelist and illustrator, having published 10 fiction novels since 2010. Previously, she actively created comics, but because she could no longer draw hundreds of illustrations for each story, she chose to write novels.

“With fantasy novels, I want to invite readers to understand culture through fun stories. I hope this rich Chinese culture will become more widely known, especially among the younger generation,” she concluded.

Shienny manages her own schedule for illustrations and scripts. One of her most popular previous works is Thermelian.

Now, with the release of her latest novel, Warisan Dua Dunia (Two Worlds Heritage), she hopes to open the door for young readers to learn more about Chinese-Indonesian culture through a fun approach.